Wrong Partners
by RayWritesThings
Summary: Sarah Jane starts to notice the exact same redhead showing up at her investigations sometime after the Christmas with the Alien Star. AU pre-series 4 of Doctor Who


**Hello, readers. I've decided to start cross-posting some of my fics from AO3 and tumblr over to FFN, so if you recognize this story most likely you've read it on either of my accounts there (Ray_Writes and raywritesthings, respectively). If you haven't read it before, I hope you enjoy!**

**-RayWritesThings**

**Wrong Partners**

Sarah Jane wasn't quite sure when it started. Only, she didn't think it was long after she'd met the Doctor again.

She'd continued on with life as usual, if a little happier in the knowledge that one of her oldest friends was not, in fact, dead. There was plenty to keep her busy on Earth. Invasions to stop, disasters to prevent, doing her little bit to keep this planet spinning.

And now somebody else appeared to be trying to do the same thing.

If it hadn't been for her rather distinctive hair, Sarah might not have noticed her at all. As it was, she was sitting in the press pool at yet another suspicious product rollout when she happened to glance over and _recognize _the other woman.

It had taken until after she'd gotten back to Bannerman Road to place the exact time or location she'd met, or rather, seen her. She'd been a secretary at that school, the one that had turned out to have Reenaxi infiltrating through the pipes, though she'd had Mr. Smith spread the story it had merely been a gas leak. Whoever this stranger was, she wasn't actually a journalist.

So who was she?

There'd been no sign of her afterwards, nor the opportunity to question her. Sarah Jane had resolved to keep an eye out for her in the future, if she showed up at all.

And show up, she did.

It was as if now that she'd become aware of it, she couldn't stop noticing it.

As the months went on, with increasing regularity she saw her. There was another press pool. Then the woman had been in the audience at that strange recital she'd brought Luke and Clyde along for — that had been rather fortunate, as her son had proved quite immune to the attempts of the performers to hypnotize them. And even once she'd been serving again as a secretary, but at Park Vale, right around when that push for the new curriculum that had turned out to be spearheaded by a team of Woovox had happened.

Sarah had contemplated showing up to drop something off Luke had "forgotten", but wasn't sure whether it would be a good idea to show her hand, so to speak. After all, pointing out where her son went to school and the neighborhood they lived in could be potentially foolish if the other woman hadn't noticed her yet. And then the next school week had started and the regular secretary had been back recovered from her illness and it'd been too late to change her mind.

Sarah Jane turned around once, a few weeks later, at the presentation of Dr. Onwumere on a new super-drug that was supposed to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria — it ended up actually being a strain of an extraterrestrial virus — and caught her again sitting a couple rows back with a pencil and pad of paper.

Only the woman was looking right back at her.

As soon as they met eyes, the redhead stiffened, a challenging tilt of the head and a mouthed "_What?_" sent Sarah Jane's way.

Sarah turned a bit red, having not expected to be the one called out — she was press, it was her _job _to be here — and faced forward again. As soon as the presentation was finished, the other woman had been out the door and she hadn't had even the slightest chance of catching up to her and demanding some sort of explanation.

The thing was, this woman wasn't necessarily doing anything _wrong_. Each time Sarah uncovered whatever plot, she was not at all connected. So what was she doing? Checking it out? Spying? What did it mean?

She and Maria crept along a catwalk high above the factory floor. It was far too loud for anyone below to hear them, and as long as no one looked up they were practically invisible. It also provided them with an excellent vantage point to get a look at just what they were manufacturing in here. So far nothing appeared suspicious, but—

"Wait a minute!" She gasped, reaching out for Maria's arm. With the other hand, Sarah gripped the railing and peered over the edge.

She couldn't believe it. There she was, the very same woman. In black slacks and a blazer, being led about the factory floor as if she owned the place!

"What is it, Sarah Jane?" Maria asked beside her.

"That woman down there, the one with red hair," she explained, pointing her out. "This must be the fifth time I've seen her snooping about one of these things."

"Well, aren't we doing the same thing?" Her young friend pointed out with a grin.

"Oh shh," was the only response she could come up with. And not a moment too soon, for the mysterious woman opened her mouth a moment later. Sarah Jane strained to hear.

"I'd like to have a look at this factory's personnel files next, if you wouldn't mind," the woman spoke in a brusque tone, like she really was just some sort of official.

"Of course, Miss Noble," said the foreman.

Noble! A last name! Even if it was a pseudonym, at least it was a start. Sarah Jane couldn't resist pumping a fist in excitement. "Yes!"

"You there!"

Noble and the foreman both looked up at them, startled. Sarah met the other's comically shocked expression with a smug one of her own, if only for a moment. Then Maria was tugging on her arm to get her turning back the way they came to see a member of security had followed them.

She grabbed her friend's hand and began racing the rest of the way across the catwalk. "This way, Maria!"

And the woman was forgotten for the moment.

"Alright," said Sarah Jane, pacing the length of the attic back and forth after the whole business with the Irasik had been settled. "This has gone on long enough. We've got to get to the bottom of this right away. Whoever Miss Noble is, I don't like not knowing why she's been popping up everywhere we go."

"Maybe she just wants to help," said Maria from her chair.

"Maybe she's not from here," Luke suggested. "She could be lost and trying to find her way back, or her species."

"She seemed pretty human to me," remarked Clyde. "Knew how to slap me with a tardy, anyway."

"Well, that was the third time that week you'd been late. She went pretty easy on you," Maria pointed out, grinning.

"Maybe if you get a full name or a picture, Mr. Smith could search for her," said Luke.

"Yes, I think that's the only solution," she agreed, coming to a stop in front of the currently offline supercomputer. "The next time any of us sees her around, be sure to get a photo. But don't engage, in case she's dangerous."

"How dangerous could she be?" Asked Maria with a laugh.

"I'd like to think you've been doing this long enough to know the answer to that question," said Sarah Jane.

"Yeah," said Clyde. "That's practically like jinxing us."

"We'll be careful, mum," Luke assured her. "And we'll have the truth in no time."

"I certainly hope so."

So resolved, she sent their friends home and her son to bed.

Another factory, another possible alien plot. There was a supposedly unused warehouse on this lot, one she hadn't been allowed to see during her official daylight visit, and so she'd doubled back for another look at it. She'd forgone her assistants for this particular excursion, mostly because it was far past their curfew. Sarah took out the sonic lipstick, and, glancing furtively up and down the corridor, pointed it at the padlock.

That opened, but when she tugged on the handle it wouldn't budge. There were multiple locks on the door.

"Well, somebody doesn't want anyone getting in here," Sarah muttered to herself. This was going to be a tricky one.

Just then, the sound of running footsteps came from around the other side of the building. Sarah Jane whirled around, hands up with her back to the stubborn door just in time to catch sight of none other than Noble. Of _course_; so much for not engaging!

The ecstatic grin on the other woman's face dropped as soon as she saw her. "Oh, you're _kidding!_"

"You again!" Sarah Jane cried, pointing an accusing finger at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Oi, I could ask you the same thing!" The stranger barked, and Sarah's mouth snapped shut, not having an immediate retort to that. They were both trespassing.

"Oh, all the ridiculous things," Sarah Jane blustered eventually. "This is my _job_."

"Your job's being Nancy Drew?" The redhead continued on before she could respond, dropping some of the bite in her tone. "Listen, just tell me, did you see where he went?"

"See where who went?" She asked, bewildered.

"The person making that noise, duh!" Miss Noble exclaimed, and Sarah Jane bristled a bit. "I mean, _he _doesn't make it. It's this thing, it sort of sounds like a buzzer or, er—"

Sarah Jane raised an eyebrow and pointed her sonic lipstick into the air, thumbing the switch. It lit up and made the very noise the woman had been trying to describe.

She gaped at it. "But- but how do _you _have one? Hold on, are you an alien too?"

"What do you mean, 'too'?"

"Who's there?" Shouted someone who very much sounded like security. In all the fuss, they'd quite forgotten not to be loud.

"Run!" Sarah Jane hissed, and the two took off in the same direction.

"So you're not an alien?"

"No! And you're not one?"

"Course not! Are they aliens?"

"Possibly." The sound of more shouting came from behind them, and Sarah Jane put on a bit more speed, reaching for the other woman's hand to pull her along. "Although I'm not sure it matters at the moment!"

"Oh, brilliant!" Huffed Noble as they rounded the warehouse and stopped for breath. "I actually find something and he's not even here. Just you!"

"My _name _is Sarah Jane Smith," she informed her heatedly, "and I'm an investigative journalist, thank you very much."

"Yeah, well I'm Donna Noble. Just Donna Noble," she said. Her shoulders had slumped and she looked altogether miserable as she said, "I probably could've been, well, _something_, but — where'd you get that thing if you're not some kind of Martian anyway?"

"Gift from a friend," she answered simply. "No time for that now. They'll be coming this way!" She cast about for some place they could hide. "Oh, there's a window!" Sarah looked to her new companion — funny how danger made friends of them all. "If I give you a boost, you could probably reach."

Donna stared at her in horror. "I'd crush you!"

"You've got longer arms. Anyway," she frowned, "I'm not exactly old and feeble!"

"I didn't mean that! I meant I'm not skinny!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself!"

The sound of heavy boots on the pavement cut off the debate. Sarah Jane held her hands out and Donna stepped into them. With a few grunts and a lot of heavy breathing on both ends, they managed to extend Donna's reach quite far. Her face was pressed into the redhead's stomach, which she could tell was being sucked in. Admittedly, this was usually easier with Maria or Luke, or when Clyde was boosting her, but she wasn't about to complain now.

Donna grabbed hold of the windowsill and pushed on the glass. "It won't open!"

Sarah turned her head to the side to be heard. "I'll pass you my sonic!"

It was tricky getting one of her hands free to fish it out, and she very nearly dropped Donna to an indignant squawk from the other woman. Her hands ended up planted very firmly on the redhead's backside.

"I don't know how it works! I've never used one!"

"It's on the right setting, just press the button!"

The whir of the sonic and the click of a lock met her ears, and to Sarah's great relief the other woman was soon climbing up and out of her hold.

She waited with growing anxiety as the sounds of the people guarding this place drew ever nearer, but then Donna's hands were thrust down into her field of vision. Sarah grabbed on tight and was hauled up through the window, only for them both to overbalance and tumble backwards onto some empty crates stacked against the wall.

The window had shut behind her, and so they both laid there a little dazed and a lot sore listening for any indication that those outside had heard their ungraceful entrance. Gradually even the muffled sounds of footsteps and voices outside the warehouse faded away.

Sarah Jane pushed herself back onto her feet. "Well, let's see who we're dealing with then, shall we?"

"You'll know who's behind this just by seeing what they've got in here?" Donna asked her, looking awed.

"There's a good chance. I've been doing this an awful long time."

She approached one of the crates sitting in the middle of the floor, Donna right behind her. Sarah Jane held out her hand for the sonic lipstick, which the other woman passed over. Just a minute's work and the two of them were then able to lift the lid off the crate and dump it onto the floor. They looked at the contents inside together.

Donna found her voice first.

"It's drugs! Like, normal human drugs. They're drug smugglers!"

"Oh." Sarah stared. This sort of thing didn't usually happen. "Well, at least we're not being invaded."

"Great," said Donna, not sounding happy about that at all. "The one time I find something going on, and it's not even proper alien! Should've realized he wasn't turning up as soon as I saw you." She'd wandered back over to the crates against the wall and sat on one with a heavy sigh.

"No, but I deal with aliens. Proper ones!" Sarah protested. "I mean, this sort of thing falls under investigative journalism, too, and I suppose we ought to phone the police — although maybe not while we're still here." She went over to the crates as well and sat on the one beside the redhead. "We'll have to wait the smugglers out, then make a run for it."

"Suppose so. My mum's going to be livid."

"Yes, Luke won't be very happy with me either. He's my son," she added in explanation.

Donna looked at her, smiling warmly. "That's nice. Here I was thinking you were some kind of — I don't know, secret alien spy or something, but you're just a cool mum."

"I was thinking something along those lines about you as well," Sarah thought it only fair to admit. "What has you so interested in aliens, then?"

"I didn't used to be. A year ago I would've called it all mad. But it all changed one day — this one _brilliant _day, last Christmas. Did you see all that stuff about the Christmas star?"

Sarah Jane nodded.

"I was right in the middle of that," Donna informed her with just a touch of pride. "Yeah, my fiancé was poisoning me with these Huon particles to feed to a bunch of giant spider-people buried in the center of the Earth."

"How dreadful!"

"It wasn't, really," Donna disagreed. "Cause I met this man. An alien. He was _weird_, and a genius, and he saved my life. Stopped the Racnoss, too, but we had to drain the Thames to do it. Then he was gone. Well, he asked me along, too, to see the universe and — I said no. I was scared, I suppose. I mean I went from thinking he'd kidnapped me from my wedding to him saving my life from giant spiders and so much happened — but I know I got it wrong now. There's so much more out there and seeing it with him...that could've been the best thing that ever happened to me."

And suddenly everything just seemed so _obvious_. "Wait a minute. You're looking for an alien with a sonic device who travels about time and space?"

Donna nodded.

Sarah Jane barked a short laugh, shaking her head. "You're talking about the Doctor, aren't you?"

Donna sat up, her mouth dropping open. "How'd you know that? _You _know the Doctor?"

"He's my friend."

"You're joking!"

Sarah Jane couldn't even suppress her grin. "Nope. I've known him for over thirty years."

Donna stared at her for a long while. "Well, isn't that _wizard_. Did you travel with him?"

"I did. And it's every bit as amazing as you're hoping it will be."

That garnered a groan from her new friend. "I knew it! God, I was mad turning him down! That's why I've been looking into all this stuff. I figured if it sounds like trouble, he's got to show up, right? But then you were there instead!"

She leaned back a little, shocked. "Me?"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I'd read about something that sounded promising, but then you'd be there and the next day they'd be saying on the news it was all just a computer glitch or a gas leak or something normal. I was starting to think maybe you'd chased him off or something."

"I'd never! But, I suppose he trusts me to defend the Earth on my own," Sarah said. "At least this part of it."

"Yeah, would you maybe consider taking a holiday for a bit, then?" Donna requested. "Or you could go defend somewhere else for a week or so. Spain's lovely! I've been scuba diving."

"I'm quite comfortable here, thank you," she replied, even if she was a little amused.

"Course you are," Donna grumbled. "It's just, I really kind of need him to show up so I can tell him I changed my mind."

"We're not mutually exclusive, the Doctor and I, you know," said Sarah. "I mean, I do see him from time to time. We'll show up at the same places to investigate something every so often."

"Yeah, but I feel like he's got this whole thing where he has to 'go it alone' or something," Donna said. "Unless he's got someone he's traveling with. I told him to find someone not-me, after I turned him down. Wish I could tell him to come back and find me now." A rueful smile tugged at her lips, her gaze cast to the floor. "That's if he'd even want to give me another chance. I probably blew it on Christmas."

"I wouldn't say that," Sarah consoled the other woman, patting her knee. "I think he'll be quite pleased to know you've changed your mind once you see him again."

Donna looked up at her. "You really think I will?"

"Well, not for lack of trying, certainly. And you're right, he's bound to turn up somewhere. The Doctor can never stay away from Earth for too long," Sarah Jane stated reliably.

"I knew it had to be his favorite," Donna declared. "He said he loved Christmas." She seemed to know — or perhaps have inferred — an awful lot about him having only known him a day, Sarah Jane couldn't help noting.

"Then I wouldn't worry," she said. Sarah checked her watch. It'd been over an hour and they hadn't been discovered yet. Probably the people guarding this illicit business thought they'd gone. "I think another half hour ought to do it, just to be safe."

"Right." Donna nodded. "And thanks, really. I guess I've got a lot to learn about this whole investigating and stopping bad people before I start traveling."

"You're already well on your way as far as I'm concerned," said Sarah. They were both quiet for a few minutes, sharing a companionable silence now that they'd reached an understanding of each other. She really did have a habit of starting off on the wrong foot when it came to these things, but at least it was already sorted before he showed up, whenever that would be next.

"By the way, when you met the Doctor, was he a tall fellow with brown hair in a suit?"

Donna glanced at her. "Yeah, why?"

Sarah smiled to herself. "Oh, just checking."

Sarah took her seat in the attic with a fresh mug of tea and had Mr. Smith bring up the latest news reports. Most of the headlines were about a drug bust that had occurred in the very early hours of the morning based off an anonymous tip. She smirked in satisfaction as she raised her mug to her lips.

Already, of course, other stories were cropping up. Life never slowed down on Earth. There were quite a few that piqued her interest. Really too many for her, Luke, Maria, and Clyde to tackle all on their own.

A thought occurred to her. "Mr. Smith, call Donna Noble."

"Calling Donna Noble," the supercomputer intoned.

Sarah Jane had no plans of taking a holiday...but perhaps she and Donna could come to some form of arrangement. After all, from the little time they'd spent together, she already had the feeling the other woman would be quite good for her old friend.


End file.
